


Other World

by lostintheexo



Category: Big Bang (Band), Block B, EXO (Band), F. T. Island, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Character Death, I'm serious about the angst, M/M, Sad Ending, Smut, but im very serious about chatacter death, but it's not that bad, low key fluff but don't expect much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-02-26 23:15:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18726829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostintheexo/pseuds/lostintheexo
Summary: Wu Yifan was labelled a murderer at seventeen. Kim Junmyeon was the new student that was curious and skeptical and too naive for his own self.





	1. Chapter 1

The heavy pitter-patter of rain struck the glass window like bombs and bullets, pelting on the surface and running down just before a new set cascaded down diagonally. Thunder rumbled and growled barbarically above, charcoal clouds swimming in and pooling over one another just as dauntingly. Harsh winds whipped thin trees and bushes side to side, leaves and sticks getting carried away amongst it.

The taxi driver in front of him seemed to grow impatient; drumming two fingers on the steering wheel, head moving from his watch to the rear view mirror to glare at his passenger, and an irritated huff falling past his thin lips before repeating each of the motions. 

For an extra twenty seconds, the passenger stayed motionless, wide, brown eyes staring hopelessly up at the double story house before him. 

It was something completely unfamiliar. The white paint appeared grey in the harsh, gloomy weather and the garden bed lined in front of the house was getting destroyed in the storm. There were four windows facing the front, two large ones on the first floor that were covered with curtains, and two smaller ones on the second covered just the same. 

Not wanting to keep the driver waiting any longer, the teenager pulled several folded notes from his jacket pocket and handed them to the driver with a mumble of gratitude. He was quick to run around the car to retrieve his belongings from the trunk, slam it shut, and sprint up to the house. He barely missed the large spray of water that splashed upwards as the driver sped away the very second the boot was down.

The front porch leading up to the front door was covered in mud from the dirt and rain, crushed leaves folded into it along with broken twigs and rocks.

Bag strapped over his shoulder and a suitcase held in each hand, he stumbled up the three steps. His feet slipped on the last one, resulting in a distressed yelp corrupting the cacophony of heavy rainfall and his body to fall forward and onto his hard suitcase. He quickly picked himself up, grimacing at the large mud print staining the blue denim of his satirdated jeans. When he craned his head back up, he caught sight of a pair of narrowed eyes watching him through a sliver of peeled back curtains. The material was ripped back shut as soon as the eyes were discovered.

He knocked on the door three times before running a hand through his dripping wet hair and sighing as it got stuck in a tough knot. 

The door was pulled back and a hand gripped his arm, soft but firm, to shelter him from the storm. The older male before him didn't seem to mind that the teenager's shoes were boring thick prints of mud on the white tiles. Instead, he smiled widely at him before reeling him in for a bone crushing hug and a joyous cry of his name.

"Junmyeon!" The blonde was patting his back and swaying them to the side as he laughed brightly in the younger's ear. "I thought you got held up in the storm, I was so worried. You weren't answering my calls, and your uncle said you had already left."

Junmyeon pulled away from the hug and smiled warmly at the male before him. "Hyung, you know I don't have a phone anymore."

He grimaced lightly at the dark patch beginning to form on Hong-gi's grey shirt from Junmyeon's wet clothing. Just as he began to voice his own inquiry, desperate to shower and clean himself up, Hong-gi called for someone that Junmyeon hadn't heard of.

"Sehun-ah!" His eyes stared up at the roof as he waited for the telltale sign of feet hitting the tiles, smiling and spinning around when he heard the presence of someone new. "Could you please show Junmyeon to his room and the bathroom? I've got to clean this and get dinner ready." 

He had gestured flimsily to the muddy prints on the tiles, at which Junmyeon had sincerely apologised for and offered to clean it himself. Hong-gi shook his head and shooed Junmyeon away, right after telling him to take his sneakers off and hand them over to be cleaned and hung up.

The boy that he had called was standing by the loungeroom that looked into the kitchen and dining room, the entrance being between the middle of the three. Sehun, his name was.

He looked to be younger than Junmyeon; shorter and paler, too. His black hair was a stark contrast to the fairness of his complexion, dark, narrowed eyes the same. He was lanky and probably considered tall for his age, but Junmyeon still stood a whole head taller Sehun. The latter was slightly chubbier, too, his face not grown into itself yet. 

"Hi," Junmyeon offered the teenager a bow of his head, smiling when the younger bent forward and mumbled a greeting in return. "I'm Junmyeon."

"Sehun," Was the only word he got out, the name mumbled in a quiet, deep voice that Junmyeon was lucky to catch. He could've sworn he heard the faintest lisp.

Whilst he was given a tour of the house, he tried his best to break the shy, cautious wall Sehun had built up around him by being his outgoing self. During the time in which he sauntered down the white walls adorned with very little photographs and peering wearily into carpeted rooms, he learnt that Sehun was only fourteen. The younger was in ninth grade and attended the same school Junmyeon was enrolled to. Unfortunately, that was the most he got out of the fourteen-year-old. He didn't learn any of Sehun's hobbies, or any stories of antics he and his friends partook in. No, Sehun was closed-off and barely willing to speak to him. 

"This is the bathroom," He mumbled, a thin arm lifting up to gesture lazily into the average bathroom before dropping. They reached the end of the hallway upstairs when Sehun turned to his left and pushed open a white door and claimed that the room was Junmyeon's.

Inside was a queen mattress on top of an ensemble, the head being pushed up against the wall opposite that of the one with a large wardrobe against it. There was a desk situated next to the window, nothing but a lamp sitting on top of it. The walls were a creme colour, the carpet a shade brighter and Junmyeon suddenly hoped he never had the misfortune to spill anything of the fuzzy surface.

He pushed his suitcases in and set them next to the bed, dropping the duffle bag onto the mattress before turning back around to thank Sehun. His lips were parted and ready to speak the words, before he clamped his mouth shut upon seeing that the younger had left.

Junmyeon sighed. He pulled a change of clothes that were much more comfortable out of a suitcase before retracing his steps to the bathroom. 

A shower was something he needed. Whether it be to wash the icky feeling seeping into his skin, or to calm the nerves that buzzed inside, he didn't care. 

The water was hot against his chilled skin, a stark contrast to the freezing rain droplets that belted him not ten minutes ago. 

When he stepped out and slipped into clean clothes, a white towel rubbing at his brown hair to dry it, he hoped once again. He hoped that this were the fresh start he needed—that this was a new beginning that he can make up and control. He hoped that this was the start of something new, and something much better than the life he lived before. A new life, completely void of anything that could possibly tie him to the horrors from his previous one.


	2. Chapter 2

Junmyeon's last day before he was enrolled in a brand new school, in a brand new region, was spent huddled under a blanket on a section of Hong-gi's dark grey couch. The latter was in a similar position on a matching couch to the side, body splayed out with a fuzzy blanket wrapped loosely around him. Their eyes were trained hard on the screen playing a newly released movie, but Junmyeon couldn't bring himself to give it his full attention.

His mind was clouded with worry and doubt and fear. He was worried about the change; about how he would react if he fit in and how he would react if he didn't. Following the thought, he began to doubt his choice to move across the country and live with someone seemed as a 'close family-friend'. The truth was, Lee Hong-gi was one of the only people his mother and father spoke to religiously. Not even his father's brother was given the same treatment as Hong-gi.

Slowly, he began to fear. He began to fear of what would become if he grew attached to the change - if he became used to the new lifestyle too easily that he'd have a hard time letting go when the time came.

He hadn't seen Sehun the whole day, save for his appearance when Hong-gi announced that dinner was ready. After that, he was gone in a flash.

"He doesn't come out much," Hong-gi explained upon seeing Junmyeon watch Sehun's retreating figure. After a moment's deliberation, he started again. "It hurts, but I'll never force him to do anything he's not comfortable with. Sometimes," He chuckled, but it didn't hide the distant look in his eyes or the growing strain in his voice, "I'm lucky to get him to come to the grocery store with me. One day, he'll realise. You both will."

Junmyeon ignored the question bubbling up inside him, threatening to slip past his lips. Instead, he helped Hong-gi with the dishes and stayed up with him until he announced he was going to bed. The older wished him luck with the following day of school, offering a cheeky grin to Junmyeon before slipping into the hallway that lead to his room.

Junmyeon didn't stay up longer. He switched the TV off and made his way up the stairs. When he stopped in front of his door, he couldn't help but hear the faint sound of laughter and giggly voices from inside Sehun's room. Unfortunately, his curiosity clouded all respect he had for not invading one's privacy, resulting in him lightly tapping on the door before pushing it open.

Sehun was quick to push the lid of his laptop down when he saw Junmyeon peeking into his room. His eyes were wide, like a deer in headlights. Despite his laptop lid being pushed down, the sound coming from the device still echoed in the room.

Junmyeon heard Sehun's own name being called in the video, followed by the voice of Sehun telling someone - Tao, it sounded like - to stop. The laughter was cut short when Sehun slammed the lid shut completely.

"What're you doing?" His voice was shaky, head tipped down and not daring to look at Junmyeon. The latter was shocked, but guilt slowly ate at him.

"I'm sorry," He apologised quickly, "I heard voices and I didn't know if you had someone over because you didn't-"

Sehun cut him off with a sharp, "It wouldn't have been any of your business if I did."

Junmyeon apologised once more before pulling the door shut and sliding into his own room. He couldn't help but frown deeply as he laid in bed that night, his mind scolding him for invading Sehun's privacy the way he did.

Whatever the younger teen was doing, it seemed personal. So personal that when he was caught by Junmyeon, tears sprang to his eyes. Unless they were already there, Junmyeon hadn't noticed. Though, he wished he did. He didn't want to hurt the younger because of his wandering curiosity. With one final, dejected sigh, he closed his eyes and hoped the morning would bring him better luck.

 

| | |

 

Junmyeon learnt that Sehun wasn't a big breakfast person. Once he had gotten changed in the uniform that was hung up in the wardrobe in his room and packed his bag with a five subject book that was waiting for him on the desk along with a pencil case full of stationary (he assumed Hong-gi snuck in before he left for work to leave it there) Junmyeon sauntered downstairs and into the kitchen. There, he saw Sehun rinsing out a glass he had used to drink juice from, then grab an apple from the large fruit bowl on the bench.

He didn't mumble a greeting to Junmyeon like he did the previous morning. No, Sehun walked straight past him without sparing him a single glance. Whatever was wrong with Sehun, Junmyeon thought, ran deeper than just personal.

The two sat on the couch for nearly an hour, Junmyeon munching on his cereal and Sehun nibbling on the apple as he surfed through the channels. The shrill of the latter's phone later interrupted whatever program Sehun had settled on.

"Hello?" He answered robotically, leaning back into the couch as he listened to whoever was on the other side of the line ramble on. "Okay, I'll be there soon, hyung... Yep... Okay... Bye."

Pushing himself up off the couch, the shorter boy shuffled his feet along the wooden boards and up to his room. Junmyeon assumed he was getting ready. So, he did, too.

He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and styled his hair so that it didn't sit in his eyes. He sighed in relief when he noticed that he hadn't looked bad, not at all. Staring at his reflection, he hoped that the day would be better than worse.

Sehun joined him in the bathroom whilst he was finishing up his hair, only to brush his teeth. He noticed that the younger left his hair styled down, strands falling into and covering his dark eyes. Junmyeon didn't know if they were even allowed to have their hair like that...

"Are we walking?" Junmyeon had asked, only to break the silence because he already knew that they were.

Sehun nodded, staring at his own reflection in the mirror.

Junmyeon grabbed his bag from his room and trotted downstairs to wait for Sehun at the front door. When Sehun finally came down the stairs, he turned into the kitchen to grab something. He returned with two bottles of water, one for himself and one for Junmyeon. The older smiled at Sehun and thanked him, whilst Sehun simply shoved the plastic bottle in his bag and retrieved the metal key hanging on the rack by the door.

The walk was awkward, though Junmyeon tried to hide that by keeping his head up. He didn't try to speak to Sehun, knowing that the one-worded, some times three, answers and replies would be no different.

A part of him believed that Sehun had taken a disliking to him since the start. Maybe he was afraid of Junmyeon taking all of Hong-gi's attention, but then he remembered what their caregiver had told him the night before. Hong-gi loved Sehun, and Junmyeon was disappointed in himself for not knowing whether Sehun was his biological son or not. However, Sehun shut himself away from Hong-gi and barely spoke to him. Junmyeon could only assume that something serious had happened, and that it wasn't just a moody, teenage phase.

He stayed a step behind Sehun, making sure that he wouldn'take a wrong turn, and was slightly thankful that the walk was no longer than twenty minutes. Though, with the silence and the thick tension from the night before still hanging strong in the air, the walk felt like it lasted an eternity.

When they reached the school gates, Junmyeon hoped that Sehun wouldn't abandon him to see his friends. He sighed in relief when he walked up a small set of stairs and into the school, leading Junmyeon all the way to the administration. He helped Junmyeon get his timetable, then gave him a quick tour of all of the different blocks and what subjects they each take.

Block D was Arts, whilst Block C was English studies, and Block B dance. There was a science block in the middle of the school and a design and technology block towards the end, near the gymnasium and indoor pool. After ten minutes of Sehun guiding him around the school, someone new had finally approached them and Junmyeon was surprised to see them hug Sehun straight away.

Sehun, despite glancing awkwardly at Junmyeon as he did so, returned the hug to the student that was older-judging by the thin stripes on his uniform compared to the thick ones on Sehun's-and the same height. When the student finally pulled away, he smiled at Sehun and stroked his head before turning his attention to Junmyeon.

"Hi," He smiled and stretched an arm out as he stepped away from Sehun, "I'm Baekhyun."

Junmyeon stared at the hand awkwardly before reaching out and shaking it, greeting Baekhyun and giving him his name.

Baekhyun gestured at him before inquiring, "You're a senior, right?"

Junmyeon nodded.

The two continued to engage in small talk, getting to know each other better, and halfway through Sehun had mumbled something about 'Jongin' and left them alone. Baekhyun declared that they had two minutes before the bell and offered to show Junmyeon to his home room. The latter accepted and smiled warmly at him in return.

"What're you studying?"

"Uhh," Junmyeon peered down at his timetable and read each of the subjects, "English studies, Ancient Civilizations, Drama, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and General Mathmatics."

"Ahh," Baekhyun sported a cheeky grin, "You're more science than you are math, right? I mean, you have to be good at math but y'know what I mean? I'm shit at science but get straight A's in math."

Junmyeon, in a way, could understand. He was terrible at maths, but due to it being a core subject, he had to chose one. So, he chose one of the easiest. He had the option to choose more on offer, but Junmyeon knew that a nine and a half hour test would not help him in achieving it. Because of that, he didn't go all out on his subjects. He was glad that Hong-gi wasn't enforcing it, either. Though, he still had a school day that lasted almost twelve hours. It could've been worse, but Junmyeon was doing what was best in his interests, not others.

They reached Junmyeon's home room, the English block, and Baekhyun pat his back and wished him luck before turning and heading for his own class.

Junmyeon stepped into the room, cautious, and gave the teacher before him a weak smile. The teacher didn't instruct him to introduce himself, instead telling the class the student's name and that he was new, and to be kind to him. Junmyeon bowed at them all before scanning the class.

The desks were all broken apart, lined up individually in rows, and he noticed that the whole back row was free, save for one student that wasn't even looking at him. Looking at the five empty desks in the back once more, he made his way towards them and decided to take the seat next to the single student. When he sat down, he noticed that all eyes were on him.

"What?" He questioned aloud, an eyebrow raised as he kept his arm frozen mid-air, ready to set his bag at his feet.

Some of the students turned around with red faces, whilst others glanced from him to the student next to him. Junmyeon decided to do the same.

The student beside him was staring at him as well. His eyes were dark, the hair he had styled down shadowing his face. His eyebrows were drawn into a frown and his lips were turned down. Obviously, Junmyeon couldn't help but notice he was somewhat attractive. But, he didn't let that thought longer in his mind.

"Something wrong?" He returned the frown at the student, eyes dropping to read the name tag on the pocket on the left side of his shirt. Wu Yifan. Chinese.

Yifan's voice was deep when he responded the question with a question of his own. "Do you even know me?"

Junmyeon tilted his head to the side and laughed lightly. "It's my first day here and you're asking if I know you? Wow... Plus, you've got a whole row to yourself. I can't miss out on whatever you do back here when this class gets boring."

It sounded like Yifan scoffed, but Junmyeon caught sight of a tiny smile. However, it was gone as quick as it had appeared.

He decided to introduce himself in a whisper, because the teacher had begun the lesson after marking the roll. "I'm Junmyeon."

"I know," Yifan replied, not looking up from his book. "Yifan."

"I know," Junmyeon mocked, smiling down at his notebook as he copied down the work the teacher was quickly writing on the board.

He heard Yifan make that sound again-a scoff but not a scoff. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly as they continued doing their work in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

Over three hours had passed since Junmyeon's first lesson at the new school. After an hour and a half of English, they switched to a new teacher and a new subject—Ancient Civilizations. Junmyeon hadn't tried to talk to Yifan, just as Yifan hadn't tried with him. Every now and then, though, Junmyeon would scan the class and discover several pairs of eyes watching him closely. He would frown at each of them, then continue his work without letting them bother him.

When the lunch break had finally rolled around, he packed his belongings and pushed himself off of the chair. He turned to Yifan, having to do a double take at the fact that Yifan was fairly taller than him. Junmyeon was barely eye level with his chin.

"Can I sit with you?" Junmyeon asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder and rubbing at the back of his neck, a shy, anxious mannerism he had long since adopted. "For lunch, I mean. I don't really know anyone here."

"I, uhh," Yifan scratched his arm and shuffled on his feet, "I don't think that's a good idea. Sorry."

He rushed out of the classroom before Junmyeon could get another word in. Watching his retreating figure, Junmyeon could only tilt his head in confusion before he remembered Baekhyun. His lips turned up at that.

After many minutes spent wandering the halls, he finally made it to the cafeteria where he stood in the doors as he searched for Baekhyun. The brunet was sitting by himself, stabbing at his food with a plastic fork. With a relieved smile, Junmyeon rushed to him and sat on the opposite chair.

Baekhyun looked up at him when he was greeted, returning it with a small smile of his own and a, "How was class?"

Junmyeon shrugged and pulled out his own lunch. "It was okay. Do I have something on my face though? Everyone kept looking at me weird."

With a tiny chuckle, Baekhyun shook his head. "It's probably because you're new. It happens. The people here are just curious and hungry for any drama they can get."

He silently agreed and started to eat his own food. They didn't speak for several passing moments, but Junmyeon was glad that Baekhyun spoke again.

"Did you make any friends though?" He asked once he finished his mouthful. "This school's weird but just about everyone's pretty friendly."

Junmyeon pursed his lips and thought about it. "I don't think so. I sat with one guy in my class because he was alone, but he literally _ran_ away before I could offer. I think he's just shy, because I—oh, there! Yifan!"

He didn't notice Baekhyun's eyes growing wider when he yelled the name across the cafeteria to the new student that had entered. He did notice, though, that Yifan stopped in his tracks as soon as his name was called out. He noticed that when he gestured to the seat next time him, telling Yifan to sit down, Yifan's own eyes widened before he spun on his heel and sped out of the cafeteria.

Junmyeon frowned and dropped his gaze to his food with a pout. "Definitely shy, I think."

He turned back to face Baekhyun and finally took note of how distressed the younger looked. His face looked paler and his hand had stopped moving around to poke at his food.

"Are you okay?" He questioned, reaching out to gently hold Baekhyun's wrist. When the younger turned to look at the doors Yifan had used to escape, Junmyeon made a knowing sound. "Do you not like him or something, is that it?"

"Or something," Baekhyun muttered, looking completely out of it as he continued to eye the set of double doors.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Junmyeon mumbled and dropped his head to stare at his food again.

"It's fine, you didn't know."

Baekhyun had finally turned back to him and offered a smile. He shoved another mouthful of food in his mouth ungracefully, having to tip his head back to eat it all.

"I have a friend in my grade you might like," He said through his mouthful, hand covering his mouth. "He's not here for the rest of the week but he'll be back next Monday or Tuesday. He's a smarty-pants, though. He's a year younger but got put up."

"You can do that?" Junmyeon asked, bewildered.

"He's a total _nerd_."

Junmyeon was glad to see Baekhyun laugh lightly at that. Baekhyun looked happy to talk about his friend, his eyes shining at the subject as he praised the person.

"He'll be in your English and science classes," Baekhyun noted. "I think he wants to go overseas when he's done here. I can't blame him. If I manage to do something useful after school's done, I'm _gone_."

Though Baekhyun was laughing, there was an edge to his voice that Junmyeon couldn't bring himself to laugh along with.

"I think Sehun wants to do the same," He continued after, then shook his head. "No, scratch that; I think he wants to move _with_ me."

Junmyeon dipped his head to the side and couldn't help but ask, "Have you known him for long?"

"Yeah," Baekhyun nodded and a smile—a sad, longing one, almost—made its way onto his face. "I was... close with his best friend's brother. I was never really close with him or his friends until a little over a year ago. He's clingy now, but it's okay."

Junmyeon was almost envious. The Sehun he was describing to him—clingy and maybe even a little needy—seemed nothing like the cold, reserved Sehun that he had lived with for the past two days. Admittedly, it had been two days and he didn't expect the younger to warm up quickly, but it seemed like a completely different person was being described to him.

Baekhyun clapped his hands and exhaled loudly, "Anyway, enough with that. I'm hungry and I really don't want to go to my Design class next."

Junmyeon only chuckled at it, looked at the double doors leading out, then went back to eating his own food.

 

 

 

| | |

 

 

 

He and Sehun were walking home together that afternoon. He had asked the younger about his day and was surprised that Sehun spoke more than a three-worded sentence when answering him. He was glad, though. Not bothering to hide the pleased smile on his face, Junmyeon told Sehun about his own day and even offered to buy him food before they went home. He was happy that Sehun didn't refuse.

They stepped into a bakery not ten minutes from the house, instantly wafted with the smell of fresh bread and pastries. After waiting for a minute or so, both peering at the dozens of things on offer, a desperate huff was heard and there was someone running to the other side of the counter.

"Hi! What can I get for you?" The boy looked considerably younger than Junmyeon, maybe even Sehun's age, and the flour that was spread across his chubby cheeks only made him look younger. 

Junmyeon spoke with a smile, then looked at Sehun who was still kneeling down in front of the glass to decide. When he straightened back up and opened his mouth to do the same, he stepped back.

"Sehun?" The boy behind the counter dropped his arm, staring at the younger in shock. "I didn't think that—I... How are you?"

Sehun gulped and slowly started to scratch at his arm. He nodded and mumbled, "I'm... okay. I'm good. How've you been?"

"You two know each other?" In his head, Junmyeon scolded himself for interrupting the boy's awaiting reply. His cheeks turned red as he did so, feeling bad for cutting him off.

"Ah, yeah," He nodded, "When I was in high school. We were... friends of friends."

Junmyeon perked up at that. "Like Baekhyun!"

Sehun and the boy looked surprised at the mention of him, causing Junmyeon's cheeks to darken.

"You know Baekhyun?" He asked, handing him his bag and grabbing something for Sehun before doing the same.

Junmyeon nodded with a smile. "Yeah, he showed me around and—"

There was a loud crash outside, and the three of them moved so that they could see what had happened. On the ground was one of the metal tables tipped over, two of the chairs in the same state, whilst whoever knocked them down was running away as quick as he could.

The baker sighed with a shake of his head, but his lips tipped upwards in a tiny smile. When Junmyeon moved to hand the money over, he waved his hand in the air and declared that it was on him.

"It's nice seeing you again, Sehun," He smiled at Sehun and gave him a curt nod, then looked to Junmyeon. "It was nice meeting you."

Junmyeon smiled and waved at him as they began their journey home once again, Sehun simply waving behind him as he walked away.

Once they were out of sight, Minseok, the baker, moved around the counter and headed for his car across the street. It was there that he saw Yifan crouching behind it, frowning down at the pavement and biting at his nails.

Minseok grimaced at the action and rested a hand on his hip. "You can't run from Sehun forever. You have to talk to him about it all at some point."

Yifan finally took note of his presence after a minute. "I wasn't avoiding him."

"Who then? The new kid?" When he didn't get a response from Yifan, he groaned. "Oh my god. Come have something to eat Yifan and we can talk then."

Yifan didn't argue or try and tell him off. Instead, he followed Minseok across the street and allowed the older to shove him into one of the chairs that were still standing on all four legs.


	4. Chapter 4

On Junmyeon's fifth day at the new school, he was forced into the school's bathroom after having someone's banana milk spilt all over his hair, face, and shirt. He was insulted, called an ' _idiot for even looking in that monster's direction_ ', but he still had no idea what they meant. With a deep sigh, he trudged to the closest bathroom and tried to clean himself up. It was _horrible_. The bell to the next class shrilled, and he was still stuck trying to get the yellow stain out of his shirt and dry his face and hair.

The situation didn't affect him as much as it should've, but he just hated the smell and stain it left.

He was still scrubbing at his yellowing shirt with a wet paper towel when the door to the bathroom was pushed open, causing him to jump and throw the towel away in surprise. When he saw that it was Yifan, his eyes widened.

He hadn't seen Yifan all week, not even in any of his classes. He was still sitting in the same seat he had on the first day, but he was alone for the four days after that. A small part of him was worried, but only because of how Yifan had practically ran from him on his first day. At first, he thought he had done something wrong, then that Yifan was shy, then figured that maybe Yifan didn't want new friends.

"Uhh," Yifan stared at his shirt with wide eyes, then took note of Junmyeon's wet hair. "Are you okay?"

Grabbing a new paper towel, Junmyeon wet it and began to scrub at his shirt. "Do people always through banana milk cartons at others, or am I just a lucky one?"

Junmyeon wasn't expecting an answer, but he did watch as Yifan shuffled awkwardly on his feet as he looked from the floor to Junmyeon.

"I haven't seen you all week," Junmyeon said after several minutes of awkward silence bubbling between them. "It got pretty lonely up the back. I don't know how you do it."

Yifan made that same noise again, one that Junmyeon didn't have a name for, and Junmyeon smiled at him through the mirror.

"How are you, Yifan?" He watched as the other's face went from confused to shocked.

"I'm good..." He trailed off, then frowned. "You really don't know me, do you? You haven't heard about me?"

Junmyeon looked at him skeptically. "No. Why? Are you an idol, or something?"

"No, no, I just... I think it's best if maybe you don't try and talk to me. It'll be bad for you."

"No offence, Yifan," Junmyeon threw the paper towel in the bin, not caring that he missed and that the stain still wasn't gone, and turned to face him, "But I don't think that'll stop me from trying. Are you being bullied? Is that why you don't want me talking to you? Because if it is, we can take care of them."

Junmyeon was a stubborn kid. He was also rather naive. He didn't want to consider the fact that, maybe, Yifan just didn't want him as a friend. For Junmyeon, it was easier to pretend that there was something wrong than to think that somebody just didn't like him. Judging from the constant hesitation and caution Yifan presented, maybe a problem wasn't the most farfetched reason.

"I..." Yifan gulped. "I don't think I can talk to you about it."

"Don't tell me you ran over someone's cat," Junmyeon joked, his laughter dying down when he noticed Yifan wasn't amused in the slightest. "I'm sorry. Whatever it is must be really hard for you. And I know you don't know me, but I'm here if you need."

It's the type of person Junmyeon was. It was a terrible flaw and something that was always misunderstood. Was he fake? Was he just using people? Or was he actually kind and concerned? Junmyeon didn't have many true friends before his move, and the ones he did always carried a blurred line wherein Junmyeon wasn't sure if it was true or not. Maybe that was his fault. It was easier for him to blame himself than consider those around him.

"It's best for you and Baekhyun and Sehun if you don't, Junmyeon."

It was the first time Yifan had actually said his name, he realised. But, the mention of his two friends was what grabbed his attention the most.

"You know Sehun?" Junmyeon was excited, immediately glad that they had _something_ in common.

Yifan swore under his breath and shook his head. "Don't you dare tell them I said anything, okay?"

He turned on his heel and pulled open the bathroom door. When he was one foot out, his name was called by Junmyeon.

"Why can't I be friends with you?" He asked, examination of his reflection forgotten as he stared up at Yifan. "Is it really that bad?"

"I think," Yifan breathed out, a deep frown directed at the tiled floor, "That no matter whose story you hear, it'll always be bad."

"And you're story?"

Junmyeon's inquiry shocked Yifan so much so that it was visibly shown, rather than having it attempted to be hidden. His eyes held so many emotions; confusion, worry, _fear_. It was almost as if Junmyeon was an alien standing before him, speaking words he had never heard with meanings he never understood.

"Why does it even matter?" Yifan questioned in return, voice cold. "You know nothing about me and whether you think you do or don't won't change a thing. Just back off."

His behaviour was changed; a reserved, defensive barrier blocking out Junmyeon, and he stormed away after it. Junmyeon understood, too. He understood that his curiosity and need to know everything and everyone around him was infuriating, but it was one of his flaws. He liked knowing everything. When someone called him out on it, he blamed it on the fact that he hated missing pieces to bigger pictures and would rather know all the little things that make it up. However, for this picture, he had no pieces. He didn't even have the bigger picture, let alone details that made it up.

Sighing, Junmyeon figured it was time to be selfish and see what he could find out in his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... Have you guys got any ideas as to what's going on yet? Any thoughts on what's happened anand why everyone's split up? 
> 
> Let me know in the comments if you do! I love reading them even though I'm low key award and don't know how to reply to them properly... 
> 
> Next chapter will give you all the insight you need to what happened (mostly) -- but let me know your ideas!


	5. Chapter 5

Given it were a Friday, Baekhyun had invited Junmyeon and Sehun over to his house. The latter had declined the offer, saying that he promised Jongin he would help him set his room up. Junmyeon couldn't resist it when the younger pouted at him and claimed he didn't want to be home alone because his parents were leaving Seoul for the weekend. That was how he found himself sat on Baekhyun's couch, surrounded by an endless amount of snacks, dressed in baggy sweatpants and a hoodie that was two sizes too big for him. Baekhyun was curled up beside him, head resting on a pillow that he held between his legs. The position looked strange, but oddly comfortable.

Junmyeon liked Baekhyun's house. It was cozy with the right amount of furniture and photos spread out. It wasn't too large, considering it was just Baekhyun and his parents, because his older brother had left for Japan because of his business. 

They had decided on having a movie marathon, agreeing to put on whatever because they knew they'd end up talking to each other not twenty minutes in. And, they did. 

Junmyeon laughed whenever Baekhyun told embarrassing stories from his childhood, like when he accidentally referred to his second grade teacher as his father, only to have all of his friends tease him each passing year whenever he had a male teacher. Like when Baekhyun and an old friend accidentally lit fire to a grassy expanse that was behind his old house, having to run as quick as they could when a fire truck showed up. 

"We were trouble makers," He had said, an unknown smile gracing his lips. "He was two years above me, but because we were in the same group it was easier to hang out, y'know? After that fire our parents almost killed us. That was why, when we all ended up breaking into this pool to go for a swim at night, our parents got in this massive argument and forbid us to hang out. That never stopped us all, though. We just made sure they never found out."

He was laughing by the end, but Junmyeon could only smile at the story. He wished he had that friendship with anyone at his old school. 

"What about you?" Baekhyun asked once he was done laughing at the memory, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

Junmyeon simply shrugged. "I never really had that many friends. I mean, I did, but they were already their own group. They always left me out of things they did together, so I just kinda... stayed to myself, I guess."

"Oh," Baekhyun's shoulders slouched and his face showed sympathy for Junmyeon. "Is that why you moved?"

He shook his head as he sipped on his soda. "No, I... My..." Pursing his lips, Junmyeon went over the words in his head before uttering them. "My parents passed away almost a year ago now. I lived with my uncle for a bit, but he said he wasn't able to support me anymore, so I decided to move here with Hong-gi. He's been a family friend for a long time—my parents told me they used to look after him when he was younger. I figured that, with the move, I could have a fresh start with everything. No one would know me or what happened, so what was there to judge me on?"

Baekhyun sensed the hidden add-on, and he muted the TV to turn to Junmyeon and say, "But?"

The latter hesitated before sighing, "I'm not sure. I've tried making more friends, but I think I'm a little too... pushy? Like... I know I go overboard, y'know? A part of me just feels like I need everyone to like me, and... I don't know. Maybe that's why I didn't have any friends that actually cared about me."

He didn't trust himself to try to continue, and Baekhyun didn't push him to. It wasn't until Junmyeon thought over his first week of the move did he speak up again, but for a completely different reason. 

"Baekhyun?" When the younger hummed and looked back to him again, Junmyeon continued. "What's wrong with Yifan? I'm sorry if it's a touchy question, considering your reaction the other day, but it's just... He's been so adamant on getting me to stay away and... I've seen how people look at him and heard some of the things they say."

He watched carefully for Baekhyun's reaction. His eyebrows had furrowed and his whole body had sagged. He dropped his head forward and breathed in. When he finally looked back to Junmyeon, he looked sad, but was the first to speak. 

"You'll hear about it from someone else, anyway, and that'll be worse. But don't tell Sehun I told you, I'll tell him," A pause, and then a breathy chuckle. "I don't even know where to start."

Junmyeon made the move to pause the movie, then turned his whole body to Baekhyun and waited patiently for him to muster up whatever he was going to say. Minutes passed, then he started. 

"I met Yifan through Minseok, then Zitao through Yifan, and then Sehun. I think Minseok and Sehun knew the two of them years before I came along. It always seemed that way. Down the track Minseok brought along Lu Han, who brought Yixing. The two of them were barely fluent in Korean, but Yifan had known Yixing since before he even moved to Korea and they were instantly... there. 

"I was barely starting seventh grade when Jongin came along, instantly befriending Sehun and Zitao. I think the three of them had some weird pact... That wouldn't have surprised me honestly. Not long after that Chanyeol moved here, and it seemed that where he went, Kyungsoo went. They had been friends since they were young, apparently. Anyway, not all of us were close together. We kind of split ourselves into two groups. When Jongdae moved here... that was when we actually hung out as one. He was like... He was like our glue, I think. Loved by everyone, no matter what he did. He didn't even have to try."

Junmyeon had never heard of some of the names Baekhyun mentioned. Of course, he knew of Kyungsoo, Jongin, Sehun and Yifan, but never had he heard of the others. So, still silent, he let Baekhyun continue.

"Anyway... It was Halloween almost two years ago now. We were all going to spend it together at Yifan and Zitao's house, but my mother and Minseok's got in another argument and put us on house arrest, and Sehun and Jongin were grounded because of a prank they pulled with Zitao. Yixing was home in China that night, and Kyungsoo never celebrated Halloween no matter how much Chanyeol tried to get him to. 

"It was Zitao's idea to make Yifan invite Lu Han, Chanyeol and Jongdae over that night. I think... I think Jongdae said that they were planning on watching a bunch of horror movies to try and scare Zitao. Umm... I don't... I don't know exactly what happened, only what was released, but..."

Tears sprang to Baekhyun's eyes that Junmyeon took immediate notice to. He moved forward to rest a hand on the younger's knee. He was ready to tell Baekhyun that it was okay, and that he didn't have to continue. Baekhyun spoke first, a slight croak to his voice and an occasional sniffle interrupting him.

"My parents were the ones that told me, and then I saw it on the news. They..." He cut himself off with a sob that he tried to cover up, shoulders curling in on themselves, "They said that there was a fire, and then an explosion. Yifan... At first they said Yifan started the fire—that it was premeditated. For the first two months, he was the main suspect. They said that he... They said that he was responsible for the... the death of Zitao, Lu Han and Chanyeol. Jongdae has been hospitalised ever since that night, and he's only woken up once since."

Baekhyun's voiced cracked more and more with each word he forced out. The tears that he tried to hold in pooled up in his eyes before they fell, rolling down his cheeks relentlessly. He didn't lift a hand to wipe them away. 

"At first I thought it was a nightmare. And then it hit me. It hit all of us," Finally, he wiped his tears and pulled a pillow to his chest. "Everything kind of fell apart after that. Minseok dropped out, Yixing left the country, Kyungsoo disappeared for almost a year, Jongin avoided everything and everyone and only just moved back to school recently, and Sehun just... shut down. After that night, he started becoming less and less responsive to everything and just... I haven't seen him smile properly in almost two years."

Junmyeon had to ask. Not because he was nosy or curious, but because he knew that it would be easier to get it off of your chest than to leave it lodged inside, digging deeper and deeper until it was too far to reach. 

"And you?"

Baekhyun bit his lip and wiped at his eyes again before looking up at the paused screen before him. "I spent fifteen months studying in Japan, living with my brother, before I came back here and picked back up my school life here."

He ended it like that, no further elaboration and nothing to add on. Junmyeon didn't know what to say next; not when Baekhyun was sniffling beside him and his own chest ached in sympathy for the younger. 

The living room was silent, the movie still paused and nothing but the distant sounds of crickets accompanying Baekhyun's small cries. 

Junmyeon had started to understand more, with the story. He understood why Baekhyun reacted the way he did when Yifan's name fell from Junmyeon's lips in the cafeteria. He understood why Sehun was so depressed and shut-away. He understood why Yifan wanted everyone at a distance. He didn't understand one thing, though, and he hesitated greatly before Baekhyun motioned him to speak. 

"He's still... He's still at school, though. Not in juvy. Why...?"

"Insufficient evidence," Was all he said before nibbling on his bottom lip and twisting his fingers together. Several silent moments passed before he turned back to look at Junmyeon and elaborate. "The only thing that tied Yifan to that scene was the fact that he was there, and that he... he was the only one that didn't... I thought it would've been enough, but they found his phone records and apparently he was taking a call when it happened. When they finally got to listen to it, they decided there was no way he could've done it. I don't know how it worked, but they put him on house arrest for eight months before he was allowed to leave and come back to school to repeat his final year."

Even back in his hometown, Junmyeon had never heard this story on the news. He hadn't seen it in the newspaper, or the radio, or anything on social media. Yet, hearing Baekhyun speak about it now and watching his entire body fall apart before his eyes made him realise he'd never be able to understand no matter how he heard it. 

When Baekhyun had calmed down, he dropped his head into Junmyeon's shoulder and wrapped his arms around Junmyeon's own. The older lifted him up slightly, only to set him back down when he circled his arm around Baekhyun's waist to hug him. 

"Kyungsoo, Chanyeol and I used to do this a lot," He whispered into Junmyeon's chest. "Jongdae used to get jealous a lot and would pile up as well."

He didn't sound as sad anymore. His tears had dried and his sobs stopped. Occasionally, his chest would shake with post-crying hiccups, but a tiny smile graced his lips as he recalled the memory. 

"Zitao, Jongin and Sehun were worse though. Way worse. Kyungsoo would join them a lot as well. I think it was because he felt left out when they all were together. But, I swear, if we were to throw a massive sleepover the three of them, sometimes four, would insist on sleeping in the same bed. They didn't care if it was only a double bed, they would literally stack themselves up. You'd think they were puppies or something with how attached they were."

They continued like that for hours, a paused movie and half eaten snacks as Baekhyun recited their childhood antics with a fond smile on his face. When it came to almost three o'clock in the morning, Baekhyun only giggled and pulled Junmyeon (who was complaining about not brushing his teeth) up and towards his bedroom. 

Despite being tired, Junmyeon laid awake for almost another hour with running thoughts and endless questions that plagued his mind about Yifan. Even when he fell asleep, he couldn't stop his mind from imagining the horror of the disaster that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the late update!! School has been hectic and it's been slipping my mind to update completely. You'll probably notice that this is a bit messy and meh, but hopefully it was able to answer some questions you guys might have had. 
> 
> Let me know your thoughts so far -- especially on the new information we've just discovered!


	6. Chapter 6

He spent the entire weekend at Baekhyun's house. Amongst binging some of their favorite shows and battling each other in the many games that the younger boy owned, Junmyeon learnt more about Baekhyun himself.

The younger was rather witty, making comical references and remarks at just about anything. Each time they brought a high pitched laugh from the older. Baekhyun seemed to eat the response, Junmyeon's reactions only egging him on to say more. He liked the attention, too.

Baekhyun liked having someone to laugh with him and joke about anything. He enjoyed being able to spend time with someone and not worry about triggering something within himself or someone else. Most of all, he liked that Junmyeon didn't treat him like a fragile doll that would break any second. He liked the distraction.

On the Sunday, after Junmyeon had let Hong-gi know that he would be back later that evening, they invited Sehun and Jongin over.

Junmyeon had never met Jongin, only heard of him on his first day of school and from the story Baekhyun told him that Friday night. When the younger boy stepped into Baekhyun's home, arm looped through Sehun's, Junmyeon offered a polite smile and his name.

"I know," Jongin replied, voice small and deep, "Sehun has told me about you."

Flustered, Junmyeon only nodded and smiled once again when Jongin rushed to introduce himself as well.

Sehun and Jongin, Junmyeon learnt, were rather clingy with each other. If he were honest, he had a hard time trying to figure out who was worse.

They both sat close, shoulders pressed together and legs propped up onto the couch so they tangled together, much like their arms that stayed constantly linked. If Baekhyun's stories from the night before were anything to go by, they could be much worse.

Junmyeon fidgeted beside Baekhyun, who was rather clingy as well. With a leg thrown across Junmyeon's thighs and his head on one of Junmyeon's slouched shoulders, the older teenager was having a hard time deciphering whether the warm churning in his stomach was discomfort, or contentment.

Throughout the day, as the three longtime friends conversed with each other about mere mundane topics, Junmyeon stayed silent. His eyes had trained in on the TV, watching but not paying attention as he zoned out.

For three people that had been through so much, Junmyeon would barely expect it at first glance. Baekhyun, who laughed at almost anything and poked fun at just as much, and Jongin, who would try so hard to make the same kind of jokes but only ended up giggling at himself afterwards. Even Sehun, who was quieter and more conserved than most, but still managed to crack the smallest of smiles when Jongin stumbled over his words and Baekhyun made fun of him.

"Hyung."

It was Jongin who was leaning forward with expecting eyes locked on the oldest. Apparently, he had called for him multiple times, but he was too wrapped up in his little world to hear (Baekhyun's words).

After apologising, Junmyeon gave the young dancer his full attention and let him continue.

"You're going to meet Kyungsoo hyung tomorrow. You'll be his friend, too, right?"

There was something so... so soft and innocent about Jongin that Junmyeon adored. It wasn't just his big puppy eyes that were always glassy, yet never teary in Junmyeon's presence, nor was it his bright smile. It was something else, and there was no way that the older could describe it or even try to put it into words or thoughts. It was admirable, though, and a part of Junmyeon envied the younger.

Kyungsoo was someone he had only heard of from Baekhyun at school, and the night before. From what he remembered, the unknown student was a grade higher than what he was supposed to be. Junmyeon didn't know what to expect, but if the things he heard from Baekhyun were anything to go by, getting along with him wouldn't be a problem.

He voiced his confirmation to Jongin with a small smile, who returned one twice as big before burrowing his head back into Sehun's chest.

The two fourteen-year-olds eventually fell asleep during the movie, curled against each other whilst the action movie was nothing but background noise to their dreaming. Baekhyun wasn't far off, head rolling back and forth from where it was on Junmyeon's shoulder, and when the older's phone went off he felt bad for having to move just to answer it.

It was Hong-gi, and suddenly he felt even worse because he hadn't let his caretaker know whether he'd be home soon or not. Ending the call with the promise of being home in less than an hour, Junmyeon gently shook Baekhyun awake.

"I'm gonna head off," He whispered, careful not to wake the two younger ones up.

Baekhyun could only hum, nestling into the hand Junmyeon had resting in the side of his face as it was lowered to the couch cushions for a more comfortable position. He laughed lightly when Baekhyun whimpered softly as he curled in on himself.

Junmyeon had only just finished packing his things and was ready to leave completely when a voice called to hi.

"Hyung?"

Sehun was wide awake when he turned around, looking almost worried. He moved to get up, but then seemed to remember the body tangled with his own. He resorted to looking back up with big eyes.

Smiling softly, the older whispered, "I'm just going home. I'll see you at school tomorrow, yes?"

Sehun only nodded, eyes not leaving Junmyeon until he was out of the house with a soft farewell. Even after, the young teenager found his eyes attached to the door he had left through until he forced himself to sleep again.

| | |

Junmyeon didn't know the way back to Hong-gi's, and the last thing he wanted to do was disturb the adult and ask for a lift. So, like any normal person that had gigabytes upon gigabytes of data to use up, he typed his address into Google Maps and let the app lead his way home. And, just like any other time, it was a mess of glitches and wrong turns.

Twenty minutes into his journey found him at the opposite side of the street where a basketball court was situated. Inside was only one person, mindlessly lapping from one side of the court to another and shooting hoops at both sides. It wasn't until the occupant stopped to move aside and take several gulps from his water bottle, body catching under the white light of the streetlamps, did Junmyeon catch his identity.

With barely a moment's hesitation, he shut his phone off and crossed the street to the open gate of the court. Yifan, with his back to him, didn't see him coming, but when he spun around to jog to the other side of the court he finally did.

The basketball he had been dribbling bounced on the spot several times before rolling out of reach, a result from Yifan's frozen state. It was unnervingly quiet. Too quiet for Junmyeon, who broke out in goosebumps as the staring stretched out even longer.

Junmyeon broke it with a nervous chuckle, feet shuffling all the way to the rolling ball to pick it up.

"Fancy seeing you here."

Yifan didn't look amused, nor did he indulge in any pleasantries with the younger. Instead, he turned his body to make sure he was facing Junmyeon with each step he took.

More torturous moments of silence elapsed, and the seventeen-year-old found himself scratching lightly at his arm as his cheeks flushed.

He stumbled with his words, throat suddenly dry and tongue tied, "Sorry, I'll just... I can go..."

Throwing the ball back at Yifan, he trudged back to the gate of the court with his head hung low in hope's to hide the embarrassed flush of his neck and cheeks. Just meters away from the gate, he was called back by a rough voice.

"Hey."

It was only a single word, but it had him spinning around with wide eyes regardless. He waited patiently for more, and smiled when he received them.

The older shuffled awkwardly on his feet, shifting his weight from one foot to another as he trained his eyes on the surface beneath them. "Do you want to..." He visibly gulped. "Do you want to play...?"

Shocked, Junmyeon blinked at him and spluttered like a fish out of water. It was unattractive, he knew, and if Baekhyun were there he'd laugh before imitating it in a much, much worse rendition. However, he didn't allow the opportunity for Yifan to question his offer before he was stepping towards him again.

Eyeing the ball, he mumbled a small, "I only watched the boys play in primary school, I never joined in."

Yifan laughed softly under his breath. He looked up at Junmyeon, then back down, seemingly calculating his next move. When he threw the ball at the younger, he laughed again when it sent him stumbling back as he fought to catch it.

"There's nothing hard about running a couple meters and throwing a ball in the air."

Junmyeom raised a brow at him, then turned to look up at the hoop that was practically taunting him.

Not facing Yifan, he scoffed, "That's easy for you to say. You're a giant with long arms. You don't even have to put that much effort in to actually make the shot."

As if to emphasize his point, he kicked his legs out and threw an arm in the air.

"Do you see these?" He craned his neck back to glare playfully at Yifan. "Everything is hard about running a couple of meters and throwing a ball."

He didn't catch on to his words until Yifan was looking at him with a raised brow and was biting back a smile.

"Wait --"

 

It was too late. Yifan was already laughing at him, one hand resting on his hip and the other trying to cover his mouth. Junmyeon couldn't even defend himself because he was so drawn to the site of the older.

It was something he never imagined he'd see; not so soon at least. And it was amazing.

Yifan's eyes crinkled when he laughed, and he would throw his head back and try to cover it as much as he could. Junmyeon would never understand why. At one point, it sounded as if he had lost his breath, before he breathed in again and was right back at it. Junmyeon assumed that Yifan was one of those people that couldn't stop laughing after they started. And he was right.

When the younger stomped his foot playfully on the ground, he was only mimicked. The pout that Yifan soon sported was also part of his Junmyeon-imitiation.

God, no wonder Baekhyun is the way he is...

It took Junmyeon throwing the ball at Yifan for him to come to a gradual stop. When it was silent again, he huffed.

"It wasn't even that funny."

Yifan shook his head, "No, but you should've seen your face."

He was still smiling, pink gums fully on display, and it reminded Junmyeon of a toddler's smile. The younger couldn't help but think that this was something he wouldn't see often, if at all after the night, so he made sure to imprint the image of the carefree teenager in his head.

"You should smile more."

Those words alone acted as the pin that popped their bubble, and Junmyeon wanted to take them back instantly. The night air around them turned cold again, and the previous glow that was set around the older was gone, nothing more than just pale streetlights.

After Baekhyun told him what had happened, he never would have thought to even talk to Yifan normally. Least of all, he never imagined being in a situation where he'd actually witness the older laughing. He didn't think it'd be possible, given everything he'd been through, but he then remembered Baekhyun and Jongin. He figured everyone needed to have their own moments of self-comfort, and Junmyeon guessed that maybe the moment they shared was Yifan's own -- carefree and so light that he didn't have to worry about the past or the consequences, until it was shattered by Junmyeon.

"I can't."

And there was something about those words that struck something in the younger. Maybe it was the way he sounded so dejected and broken when uttering them. Maybe it was the weight those words actually carried.

Biting his lip, he murmured, "I know."

Yifan seemed to know exactly what those words implied. It sent his head snapping up and his narrowed eyes locking with Junmyeon's own.

"Why're you here then?"

_I don't know._

_Because you were alone._

_I hadn't seen you in a while._

_I was curious._

They were all the wrong answers. With Junmyeon not knowing what to believe and what to think of the older, it was only natural he turn the situation away from the matter of Yifan's past and to something of a half truth.

"I got lost."

A half truth indeed.

For a fourth time that night, a heavy silence set in and left Junmyeon feeling embarrassed and regretful again. It seemed that no matter what he did, it was always wrong. And, if the way Yifan's brows furrowed and his chest heaved with a huge sigh was anything to go by, he wasn't the only one that believed so.

"Where to?"

The words were barely audible over the echo of the basketball bouncing on the court surface. Yifan had opted to turning his back on the younger, instead walking slowly to the opposite end of the court. Instantly, it closed whatever gate could have possibly opened.

"Sehun's house."

Yifan stopped in his tracks and his whole figure turned rigid, which didn't go unnoticed.

After a few beats of silence, he composed himself,  "Why would you be going there?"

"I live there."

There wasn't time for the silence to settle in once more, because Yifan had released the ball high with a grunt, watching it fall into the hoop, before replying.

"Ten minutes down the road," He mumbled, his stoic face hidden from the younger. "Once you reach the intersection, take the left. You'll know where to go from there."

There wasn't an invitation for Junmyeon to start up another conversation. So, he simply murmured a small thank you before bidding the other good night. He left the court without another word.

As soon as he was out of site, Yifan bounced the ball once before gripping it hard in his hands. With a yell, he spun on his feet and pegged it across the court where it hit the metal fence and bounced to the ground.

A figure who had been watching him in the shadows the entire night finally stepped out. He had a sad smile on his face as he sauntered across to the younger and cupped his shoulder for comfort.

"I know what you mean now, Yifan." 

The taller raised his head to look his friend in the eye. There was a question stuck in his throat, one he found himself thinking of each time they were together, yet never voiced.

_Why do you stay with me, Minseok?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise it'll get better... 
> 
> Also, I'm thinking of publishing another fic once I've tackled this one. Let me know: chanbaek, krishun, kaisoo or another krisho !!! I have more, but these ships I actually have a substantial amount done so no harm done.


	7. Chapter 7

Kyungsoo, unexpectedly, was rather hostile upon meeting Junmyeon on his first morning back. After the senior lamely stuck his hand out for the junior to shake, he was assessed with two very intimidating eyes that moved up and down his body several times. They fixed on the outstretched hand one last time before narrowing and turning to Baekhyun.

"What is this?"

To say that Junmyeon was shocked was an absolute understatement. He had never had someone speak about him like that, let alone someone _younger_. He couldn't even help but be angry.

Wherein Junmyeon had his eyes narrowed and brows turned down with his lips, Baekhyun looked absolutely stunned. His eyes were wide and jaw slack, mouth hanging right open as he openly stared at the younger student.

Kyungsoo simply pushed his glasses up his nose before muttering something to a shellshocked Baekhyun and stalking away with hunched shoulders. The older two watched him leave.

"I..."

Baekhyun could barely even form a word, still recovering from the situation that was Do Kyungsoo. Soon, he was able to face Junmyeon and grab him by his biceps.

"I am so sorry," He pushed out, looking worried, and feeling bad for the older. "I don't... I thought he would've..."

Junmyeon only swallowed before offering a tight lipped smile to the boy before him, "Why don't you go talk to him?"

Looking as if he were about to protest, Baekhyun stressed out some incomplete words before Junmyeon pat his shoulder in reassurance.

"It's fine. I have to get to class early anyway."

It was a lie, but that needn't be known. There was nothing waiting for him at his home room except empty desks and tacky posters for each subject taught in there. Nonetheless, he assured the younger it was fine before gently turning him away and watching as he quickly ran after his friend.

As if Junmyeon didn't hate school enough. Crowded hallways and loud places weren't his thing, and there was no way he'd resort to plopping down on one of the benches outside and stay lonely until the bell rang. It was bad enough that he had decided to sit next to the schools most infamous student, so he didn't have much of a choice as to what he did because of the looks directed at him.

Somehow, his seating choice had resulted in the whole school believing he were simply insane. Junmyeon didn't bother to defend himself against the watchful eyes and whispering students. The longer he spent at the school, the more he began to give up on that. He suspected that Baekhyun had done the same, because he had never tried to bring it up before.

Entering his homeroom, Junmyeon discovered that he wasn't the only one unnecessarily early to their class. The student at his desk raised his head when he heard Junmyeon plopping in his seat and looked at him with curious eyes.

"You're the new kid, right?"

Junmyeon hadn't seen him on his first day, nor the ones following. He could only assume he returned from a trip and had yet to see the new talk of the school that was Junmyeon.

He nodded in reply.

"My boyfriend told me about you," As if only just catching on to his words, the boy quickly shook his head. "I mean, only what he told me he's heard, y'know?"

Junmyeon didn't know, but he allowed the other to ramble on and on, occasionally cracking a joke that elicited a cackle out of Junmyeon. Later on, when he shared his name ( _Kim Seokjin_ ) Junmyeon realised that he was probably the first and only person besides from Baekhyun, Jongin and Sehun that didn't treat him based off of first impression. It was something he found himself growing to appreciate with each terrible joke that was made.

Kim Seokjin, despite being a little younger than Junmyeon himself, was much more confident with himself and his surroundings. When students began to pile in, slowly but surely, he made sure to interact with each and every one of them. Judging by some of the responses he got, he was well known and respected by most of the student body. The school captain seemed to be cherished by everyone, and Junmyeon could see his ego inflate with each interaction.

When Yifan stepped into the classroom, barely two minutes after the first bell, Seokjin didn't offer him a bright welcome, instead opting for a small glance before directing it back to the front.

It shouldn't have made Junmyeon feel bad, but a part of him was unable to help it. However, an even bigger part of him, one that kept him awake the night before the more he thought about it, couldn't even spare the older a single glance.

Having fallen asleep to his raging thoughts, all of which only got worse and worse the longer he stayed stuck on them, Junmyeon awoke feeling guilty. Not for Yifan, but for Sehun, and Jongin, and Baekhyun.

Junmyeon, in his first week, had tried befriending someone holding a secret so _terrible_ , whilst establishing his own friendship with those that were hurt by Yifan. Even with this, though, there was something holding him back from blaming Yifan entirely -- something that didn't add up for him, no matter how many times he tried to recall Baekhyun's words.

Junmyeon couldn't organize his thoughts. A part of him wanted to stay away from Yifan, the news that Baekhyun told him revealing so much that made him more scared than it did guilty, if he were honest. However, another part of him, the part that witnessed Yifan laughing at the courts that night, couldn't help but feel ashamed, because no matter how much Baekhyun's words added up and turned him away from the older, he wanted to hear it from Yifan.

He figured that, if there wasn't enough evidence to put Yifan away for life, how was he able to point the finger and turn his back completely? That thought was chased away by the memory of Baekhyun's tears and the way his entire body broke down as he retold the fatal story.

So absorbed in his own confusing, haywire of thoughts that didn't even make sense to himself, the shrill of the bell went unnoticed. It wasn't until the teacher begged for his attention did Junmyeon shake himself free of his thoughts and stumble his way out of the classroom.

In the cafeteria, Baekhyun was sitting with Sehun and Jongin, as usual, but the addition of Kyungsoo had Junmyeon turning away from it. He missed the expectant, hopeful gazes that his free friends carried as they watched him enter, only to be replaced by something sadder when Junmyeon turned to make his way outside instead.

On the oval, there was a small group of students playing a friendly game of soccer. The opposite side showed training for the girl's football team, and from Junmyeon's position against the wall of a equipment shed, he could occasionally hear the shouts coming from each of them.

His phone slowly began to buzz with messages from Baekhyun and Sehun, both questioning him about his whereabouts and why he wasn't with them. Typing out a short response about a fake headache and needing fresh air, Junmyeon then set the device to the side and opted to close his eyes.

The cool breeze nipped lightly at his skin and served as a meditation, of sorts. Drowning out the distant sounds of training and a soccer game, Junmyeon allowed himself to slip into a peaceful state of ease.

It wasn't that he didn't like Kyungsoo, despite their first meeting going terrible, it was rather the fact that he didn't want to impose and make such a long friendship be put on the edge because of hostility. Although he didn't know why Kyungsoo had acted so cold, he decided it was best to stay away and prevent anything bad from happening.

Junmyeon heard the footsteps approaching before they were close. Cautiously, he opened an eye to gauge who it was, before he caught sight of a tall figure moving towards him.

Yifan didn't seem to take notice of him, too busy typing away at his phone and earphones blocking out anything Junmyeon could have possibly said. It wasn't until Yifan all but tripped over Junmyeon's outstretched legs did he finally look up from the device and pull his earphones out.

He didn't apologise right away, too busy looking at how Junmyeon raised a brow and looked at him, almost expectantly.

To Yifan, Junmyeon was strange. He was confusing and unpredictable and Yifan had absolutely no idea how to properly handle himself around the younger. It was a revelation that shook him to the core.

Minseok's warnings rang through his mind, and he completely understood the older's reluctance at letting Yifan interact with Junmyeon. After all, he wasn't supposed to make friends. Not after everything that happened.

Clearing his throat, Yifan decided to speak to the younger instead of ignoring him entirely.

"I thought you'd be sitting with your friends."

Even the way Yifan verbally distanced himself from his old friends made questions rise in Junmyeon's head. Rather than letting them filter through for long, he replied with a bitter chuckle.

"It seems that not everyone in the world can like me."

He knew that, but inside he was still rather hurt at having been turned away by Kyungsoo so quickly.

"Kyungsoo?"

It took a severe amount of stumbling and hesitating for Yifan to get the name out, and once he did the guilt at having even uttered it was visible.

Junmyeon nodded, "Yeah."

A beat, and then he spoke again.

"Was he hostile when you first met him?"

The taller flinched slightly and his eyebrows pinched together. He nibbled on his bottom lip as he contemplated his words. Finally, after an excruciating amount of silence passed between them he shook his head.

"No, he was never like that. He'd look at you funny, but he was like a saint."

Junmyeon only nodded his head with a thoughtful hum. When questioned again as to why he was outside, rather than in, Junmyeon offered a butter smile.

"Kyungsoo doesn't seem to like me, and I don't want to interfere with anything."

Yifan didn't answer, and Junmyeon didn't expect him to. Instead, he casts his gaze to the oval before them for several moments before turning to Junmyeon once again.

"If he sees you treating Baekhyun, Sehun and Jongin nice he'll give you a chance. He's just really protective of them."

In his state of sour pettiness, Junmyeon mumbles out a small, "And territorial, apparently."

"Can you blame him?"

Yifan sounded defensive, but when he saw how dejected Junmyeon looked at being so harshly rejected by Kyungsoo, he sighed.

"You'll get there."

Junmyeon sighed as he forced himself to his feet. The bell was going to ring at any moment, and he'd rather not be late to class. It was bad enough he had already made a terrible first impression on his physics teacher, he needn't make it worse by being late.

"So will you, Yifan."

The hand that clapped the taller's shoulder shocked them both, but Junmyeon concealed his own surprise better than Yifan, who's eyes were wide and jaw completely slack.

Junmyeon really had to stop doing that, he knew, but as soon as he was able to uncover Yifan's side and why he wasn't locked away, he couldn't force himself to outcast the older male.

With a tight-lipped smile, Junmyeon set off to his last class of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's terrible, I know, and I'm SO sorry about that... We're going to start getting in to everything pretty soon, and it may be confusing at first but trust me that's the point... I'll try and have the next chapter up quicker than this!!
> 
> Also, as my next published fic would you rather have a Prison/MAMA Power AU fic, Cop!Myeon/Low-key Criminal!Yifan, or a TVD inspired fic? The choice is up to you guys, considering I have most of them covered (more so than this fic oops). Let me know if you guys want previews or first chapters of each of them to decide because I'm excited for them~~


	8. Chapter 8

"How about this one?"

Junmyeon's nose crinkled, but he tried to disguise it with a contemplative look, as if he were thinking.

It was his first time going to the local mall, and it was Hong-gi's idea to take him in the first place.

The mall consisted of three floors, stretching almost endlessly, lined with shops ranging from regular retailing brands to even a few high end chains. The food court was massive, filled to the brim with dozens of take out stores packed with hungry shoppers. They both dodged that until it was less busy, but Junmyeon couldn't see it becoming calmer any time soon.

The shirt Hong-gi held was nice, but not Junmyeon's style. Not even close. It consisted of weird paisley prints that he couldn't even see himself wearing in ten years, let alone at the age of seventeen. Soon to be eighteen, which was the reason for their outing.

Hong-gi had belatedly realised that there was less than a week until the younger's birthday, and all but forced them out of the house in a rush of apologies and promises to go wild with the shopping. Junmyeon didn't mind, and even when he tried protesting to the offers he was shushed by the quick increase in volume of some bubblegum pop song on the radio.

Sehun slept right through Hongi-gi's calling for him to wake up, and even when he shook the fifteen year old and gently whispered for him to wake up, it was left unanswered. Again, Junmyeon didn't mind. He knew the young teenager didn't like shopping anyway.

As if sensing Junmyeon's distaste with the shirt, Hong-gi slowly put it back on the rack and steered them out of the shop.

One hand holding the bubble tea he _needed_ and the other clutching two bags, Hong-gi sighed dramatically, "It's so hard shopping for young people. Like, who are you? What do you wear? What do you guys even like? Back in my day -"

Junmyeon cut him off with a loud groan, "You always say that. _Back in my day_ we had this, and we had that. You're making yourself sound old, hyung."

Whilst the teenager was laughing, Hong-gi looked scandalized at the remark. He stopped in his tracks to stare at Junmyeon, then shook his head as he sipped from his boba.

Despite his comment, Junmyeon had to admit that Hong-gi didn't look old. Not in the slightest.

His skin was void of any wrinkles and signs of age, and the fact that he seemed to constantly have his hair dyed either blonde, silver, or, in extremely rare cases, a natural shade of honey brown, made him seem younger, as well. Not to mention the fact that he acted several years younger than his age, and no one seemed to know whether it was on purpose, or because he was truly trapped in a child's body. Either way, Junmeyon enjoyed it and found it easier to get along with his caretaker as the days passed.

"You just wait until _you_ hit thirty, Junmyeon," He tisked after swallowing his mouthful of tea. "You'll be crippling with age and covered in old man wrinkles. But, not me," He gestured to his face before shaking his hair and striking a dramatic pose.

Junmyeon snorted at that, "That's because you're probably trapped in a twelve year old's body, hyung."

He was never able to have this kind of relationship with his Uncle when he lived with him. The man was always chastising Junmyeon for his childish behaviour, even at his young age, and was never able to joke with him or take him places for fun. As grateful as Junmyeon was, he had to admit that staying with his Uncle only made him even more depressed after the accident. The older relative hadn't even contacted him once since the day Junmyeon made it to Hong-gi's.

The two had been on their way to the food court, both carrying a sum of bags filled with clothing and even a few games Junmyeon picked out for Sehun, when Hong-gi suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His eyes were cast straight ahead, stuck on a figure that Junmyeon couldn't pinpoint. There were too many people.

Junmyeon's calls to the older were ineffective, Hong-gi too set on whichever figure it was that startled him into a frozen state. Just when the teenager turned forward again, he caught sight of a male emerging from the crowd of people lining up at a food joint.

The man was adorned in ripped jeans and a thick sweater, but with the sleeves rolled up Junmyeon was able to identify the numerous tattoos he had covering both of his arms. What caught him off guard the most was the large piece he had covering his throat, and Junmyeon could only imagine how much it would've hurt. His wince wasn't covered up as well as he would've liked it too.

He had round glasses on with thick, black frames. His black hair was only peeking out slightly under the purple beanie he had on. When the man was close enough, he offered the smallest of smiles to Hong-gi before coming to a complete stop just short of the pair.

It was silent for a few seconds, awkwardly so, before Hong-gi surged forward and attacked the stranger in a hug. The unknown male seemed surprised at first, evident by his gasp, before he wrapped his arms around Hong-gi's middle.

"It's been so long," The blond murmured, words barely caught by the teenager stood a few steps from them. "I haven't seen you since the accident."

Pulling away, the stranger nodded solemnly, "I've been away a lot since then. I haven't been able to... You know. I was in China for a while but had to come back."

"Have you heard from Jiyong?"

"Not since then," The stranger shook his head. "He dropped off the radar for a while afterwards. Some think he abandoned them."

Hong-gi vehemently denied the statement with a shake of his head and a strong, "No. Even so, he wouldn't have. He's still here. He has to be."

It was awkward for Junmyeon, who was not only being ignored but completely missing their conversation entirely. It seemed as if they had forgotten about his presence. So, when he coughed lightly under his breath, it was no surprise to have two pairs of wide eyes back on him.

"Is he the last one?"

The words were whispered, not caught by the teenager, but only just heard by Hong-gi over the bustling mall. Both of them continued this; whispering and speaking in hushed tones as to not alert Junmyeon, who was quickly distracted by the buzzing of his phone. It was Sehun.

After greeting him, Sehun was quick to question their whereabouts.

Junmyeon chuckled softly, responding, "We're out shopping. We tried waking you up, but you didn't even move."

A deep groan, and then, " _When will you guys be back_?"

"Shortly. Do you want me to bring you back some food?"

" _Please_?"

"Of course. What do you want?"

Sehun's answer was, " _Anything greasy and in big portions_."

It brought a cackle out of the older, before he promised to be home quickly with food for him. Sehun sighed, before mumbling his thanks and hanging up.

The two older men had finally finished whatever they were talking about, both looking at Junmyeon with a strange sense of fondness that made him squirm.

"I'll call you if I hear from Jiyong," The stranger promised before waving the both of them off and leaving.

Hong-gi watched him leave, silent for a moment, before ushering Junmyeon towards the food court. An explanation wasn't offered, and the teenager didn't ask for one. Despite that, he couldn't help but turn around once more and frown when the same man was watching the two of them sad, yet calculative, eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a filler because I felt bad for not updating, hence why it's so bad. Exam prep and assignments are eating me alive so I haven't had time for this.
> 
> Have a good night/day!


End file.
